To
Ms. STANIMIRA GEORGIEVA
MANAGER OF EYES OPEN SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

To
THE PARTICIPANTS AND ORGANIZERS OF THE ELEVENTH EDITION OF THE PLEVEN FRIENDSHIP MARATHON

DEAR MARATHON RUNNERS,

DEAR ORGANIZERS OF THE PLEVEN FRIENDSHIP MARATHON,

On behalf of the Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria, I extend my warmest greetings to all of you on the occasion of the holding of this year’s edition of the Friendship Marathon in Pleven.

I wish you success in the race, but I know that it is not victory that is most important in this event, but the desire and positive example – to support the cause, to be part of the marathon and even to find new friends.

In its activities, the Economic and Social Council consistently focuses on the topic of the social and solidarity economy, the problems of people with disabilities, actively supporting social inclusion and diversity. We believe that there is work to be done in this direction and so we consistently make our proposals to the relevant institutions in order to improve the environment and opportunities for realization and a better quality of life for vulnerable groups.

The Friendship Marathon is a vivid and inspiring example of how our society also responds and helps to strengthen the understanding that we are all the same, regardless of the challenges we face or the stage of our lives we are in.

We welcome this year’s Friendship Marathon as a significant event that reminds us of how important inclusion and equality are, the mission of integrating people with disabilities and the positive change in public attitudes. It is up to all of us to reduce barriers and enable people to achieve their goals, to be confident that they are valuable. It is up to us to be a more humane and supportive society, where everyone belongs.

Values ​​such as empathy and solidarity are not just words, we see them in reality here today. The united efforts of many organizations around this charitable cause with a sporting spirit are worthy of admiration.

To the attention of all participants: Thank you for the positive contribution of the atmosphere of friendship thus created! Thank you also for the example you are setting today by supporting solidarity and social inclusion!

Sincerely,

ZORNITSA RUSINOVA
PRESIDENT